After the Hood
by Ki-Chan Riker
Summary: The Red Hood has been revealed to be Jason Todd... Come back from the dead. But what happened in the five years sine he's been in Gotham city? And why is a girl named Abby not leaving his side? Plus the Joker may have escaped from Arkhem... Again. So you know just a heads up, Batsy isn't having that good of a week. Cover link posted on bio-page. Updates Reguluarly! NaNo project.
1. Chapter 1

**After the Red Hood  
>Chapter One<strong>

Abigail threw the sniper rifle aside as she landed in the rubble. Her combat boots tossing up plumes of dust and debris as she scrambled towards the still figure that had once been Batman's greatest failure.

Green eyes frantically searched for injuries and wounds. She rolled him over and Jason groaned in protest, blue eyes blurred with pain.

"Jason?" She asked frantically trying to decide the state of his wounds.

"Don't let Eastside run rampart on you." Jason whispers as she helped him lean against what had once been a building.

"Eastside still belongs to you." She told him. "Give it a couple weeks, you'll be running the crime and Drug Lords again."

"Abigail," Jason's breath caught in his chest. "Stop…." He grabbed her wrist and shot a glare at his only friend. "I'm hurt…I need you. You're the only person that I trust to keep….Eastside in line."

Abigail's eyes widened. "Jason, I don't…. I can't….. Eastside only listens to the Red Hood, not Death's Mistress.

Jason's grip loosened. He used the last o hi strength to make one final command. "Do it, Abs. I need you to do this…..Please."

She heard Jason Todd, the one man that drove her crazy with worry. He had pushed, demanded, and scared his way through life actually use the word, 'please' and it broke her.

"Jason Toddy, don't you dare do this." Her eyes flashed dangerously, "I have come too far for you to let that sick Maniac win. You won't die tonight and you will control Eastside again. Do you understand me?"

Jason chuckled, grimacing. "You always were stubborn….. Just…. Let me go. Why is that so hard?"

"I am not losing you, Jason." Abigail ripped her sleeves and fastened a makeshift tourniquet on his thigh.

Jason's eyes dimmed with pain as Abigail tried to get him to respond. Her sharp ears picked up the dull rumble of an incoming plane. She was frantic, looking for a place to hide the two.

As she pulled Jason out of the open, out of all of the planes it could have been, the batwing landed between the other buildings that were still standing. Nightwing jumped out of the hatch.

Abigail froze, her body partially hidden in the shadows. Should she ask Batman or Nightwing for help? Knowing what Jason would want her to do and knowing that he'd die without help, put Abigail at war with herself.

Jason had explicitly told her not to trust anyone involved with Batman personally. As Abigail looked to her friend, realizing how pale he was, her decision was made.

Abigail headed cautionary to where the Dark Knight and the Nightwing were gathered with a bound Joker. Seeing the maniac that had hurt Jason, she instinctively lunged forward, grabbing a blade out of a sheath on her leg.

Seconds later, Joker felt an arm wrap around his throat, and a heavy weight settling on his back before a knife was stuck between his ribs. Stabbing in the heart.

*~PAGE BREAK~*

The Joker's suit was staining red with blood, his eyes gleaming as he began to chuckle. "All this time it took an unknown person to down the greatest of all…."

Batman lunged forward, knocking the girl off of Joker, when he saw the glint of the blade. Even as he did so, he knew that he wasn't quick enough.

The woman was startled as they impacted the ground but quickly regained her head. Rolling across the ground, Abby lunged upwards aiming to hit Batman. "That clown dies for what he did!" She spat, jumping forwards hitting Batman as she tried to reach the Joker.

Batman commanded, grabbing a forearm in his grip. "The Joker will pay for his crimes, but death isn't an option."

Stopped short as the much taller man held her arm, Abby glared. "He took the only person that was my family. I have wanted to kill him for years."

Nightwing, who had called reinforcements called out. "The Joker should live. It looks like our mysterious guest missed by a couple centimeters. Lucky us."

Hearing that the Joker would live, Abigail's head shot upwards. Remembering her fatal mission she tried to get out of the caped Crusader's grip. "Hood!"

Batman let go of her forearm, jaw dropping briefly. Both Nightwing and he followed as the young woman ran towards an alleyway on the edge of the explosion. She collapsed beside the blood stained figure. She covered her mouth, whimpering while hesitantly asking. "Hood?"

Seeing his adopted brother, Nightwing looked worriedly at his old mentor. Batman knelt beside the trembling gir, wrapping his arms around her. "I will help you save the Red Hood."

Abigail let the tears fall freely as the man slowly led her away. "I can't lose him…. I can't loose Red Hood. I just can't."

The words were a plea, a life line as Batman settled her in the Batmobile. Walking back to the alleyway, Batman helped his former ward carry his precious cargo to where the ambulances sat. Doctors trying to stabilize the green haired devil.

Doctor Carrie Frauline spotted them, ordering several underlies to help her. Seeing who it was, Dr. Frauline's sharp intake of was the only indication of unprofessional feelings. The rather petite doctor barked orders left and right. "Henley, I need an IV of fluids immediately. Jill, I want blood pressure and heart rate. Get a drip going if you have to. We don't want him going into shock. Tess, where's shears?" Dr. Frauline started to catalogue injuries, looking at the leg with the shard of glass. "I need his pant leg removed so that I have a better idea of his leg."

The doctor was in her element, yelling commands and asking questions. The area was complete chaos yet Frauline seemed at home as they got Jason on the hospital bed and loaded into the back of one of the ambulances.

Doctor Frauline turned around, pushing dripping strands of hair off her forehead as she took in the two protectors, "Don't worry about him, Bats. I will do all that I can to save him."

Batman lowered his head slightly, conceding to her. Carrie Frauline smiled wearily, before walking briskly to one of the response vehicles.

A caravan of flashing lights and sirens slowly wound their way through the streets of Gotham, heading towards the hospital. Nightwing asked as they left eyesight. "What about the girl, boss? She knows Hood. Pretty well from the looks of it."

Batman sighed, looking at the Batmobile. "I don't know. Hood never said anything about the girl."

Nightwing's eyes furrowed beneath the mask, "Looked to me like they were close. But how close exactly?"

Batman started to walk towards the car, leaving his protégé to leave also.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for the really short chapter this time folks. This is basically what I have typed at the moment, however I've been writing like crazy in my notebook so as soon as I finish bits and type them, new chapters get posted. As I've said before, this is my NaNo WriMo project, that means yes characters are a little... Flat. Sorry about that, I have a bit of a mary-sue problem that I've been trying to fix. On another note, it's finals week! So yeah and good luck, and I'm gonna be really busy with that too, sorry if it delays story updates. Grades are important when trying to become a vet and get scholarships, story not so much. Again very sorry. Anyway, Let the story Cometh!**

Batman stopped by the hospital, checking to see how Jason was doing. Doctor Frauline stated that Jason would be out of danger if he made it through the night.

"Can you put up another patient in his room?" Batman inquired.

DR. Frauline answered, wrinkles forming between her eyes. "Theoretically, yes. Why do you ask?"

"He had a companion. A Girl about seventeen with him. She's been in shock and denial since we've found him." The caped crusader crossed his arms, questioning.

Frauline nodded, writing something in Jason's file. "I'm sure another bed won't hurt. I'm still not sure if he'll come out of his coma."

Looking up, Dr. Carrie Frauline found that the Dark Knight had silently disappeared leaving behind a skinny, emotionally distraught teenager in his wake.

~* PAGE BREAK *~

Abigail sat on the bed, watching as the doctors and nurses surrounded the other bed. Jason just came out of surgery, still in the coma since Batman and Nightwing had found him. AS the next couple days went by, Abigail still kept her silent but watchful vigil over her friend. Jason had a breathing tube, hooked up to so many monitors and wires it physically scared her.

On the third day, a visitor came. He was tall and had blue eyes. If you didn't look closely you would have mistaken the two as brothers. In a way, I guess he really was Jason's brother.

He walked in, knocking hesitantly on the thick wooden door, introducing himself. "I'm Dick Grayson. I came to see Jason."

Abby looked up from her project of beads and string. "Hey. Jason never said much about you." Titling her head, questioning. "Why did you come?"

Dick shifted his feet, hands finding pockets under his suit jacket. "He's my brother. Why wouldn't I come visit him?"

Abby shrugged, glancing at the other bed's occupant. "He never said anything about family."

At that statement, Dick walked closer. "Were you two close?"

Abigail gave a bark of laughter, sounding similar to a fox. "You may call me Abigail, Grayson. Jason was my friend. More importantly then that he is my only family for a couple years now."

"It's nice to put a name to your face, Abigail." Dick smiled, settling himself against the window sill. Catching the way Abby acted today and how she was in that alley. It was starting to form a puzzle where the end result was a mystery.

"I found Jason a couple months after the Lazarus Pit. He was at the time taking out all of the crime in my section. We were on opposite sides that night, but when I pleaded for him to finish my life, he didn't." Abby's gaze softened as her fingers tangled themselves in her lap. "I just sorta tagged along after that."

Grayson looked curious, wanting to know more when Dr. Frauline entered, leaving after delivering a message and getting readings from Jason. "Mr. Grayson, visiting hours are unfortunately over."

Sighing, the young man unfolded himself from where he perched. "It was good getting to know where Jason has been since he's left Gotham. May I come and visit again tomorrow?"

Abby got off the bed, walking their guest to the door. "I would like that, as would Jason. He didn't talk much about his life….. Before, but I got the feeling that he was close to his family."

Dick smiled sadly, looking at his little brother. "He was a pain, but I miss it."

Abby nodded, "I was glad I got to meet part of his old family, Grayson."

~* PAGE BREAK *~

As the days continued and Jason still not coming out of his coma, Grayson visited every chance he got. Trying to cheer her up when she started to worry too much. The two soon developed a fond friendship.

Abigail's and by extension Jason's next guest was Alfred Pennyworth. The older gentleman didn't exactly show his feelings with words or tones. He brought her a book simply stating drily that it had once belonged to 'Master Jason and she must need to do something so as she wouldn't get bored.'

~* PAGE BREAK *~

Pain….. There was too much pain…. It was red hot, burning through his body…. He didn't want this pain….. Again. Everywhere he tried or turned … there was this ….. Pain.

Forcing himself to go with the waves of pain crashing into him. He saw light. Not knowing if it was good or bad, he stayed on the edge, simply hovering. Just wanting the darkness to take over again.

A voice came from the light, calling him by name. How? ….. How did they know his name? Why? ….. Why would they want to drag him from this peace? If he went towards the light, the only thing he had forbade himself from having would leave.

The voice called again, its sound melodious yet pleading. He didn't want to listen, wanting to rejoin the blackness. Why would the voice want him? Why plead for him?


	3. Chapter 3

On the Eighth day, Abby did her routine of a semi-normal morning routine. Making the hospital bed. Checking on Jason, making sure nothing had changed, even if she would be alerted by harsh beeping. She then would brush her teeth, pulling her brown hair into a half decent braid before reading a book Alfred had lent her or working on her beads.

There were spikes in the monitor's around five, just after Grayson and Alfred had left for the evening. Abby grew hopeful, gripping the hand not bandaged and had slightly bruised bones.

"Jason?" Abby's brown hair was forgotten, half braided down her back. She watched curiously hoping that he'd awaken.

Feeling a slight movement, Abby renewed her efforts. "Jason, please. You have to wake up." She stared at his face hoping, no desperately praying to a god that she knew didn't exist for any sign that Jason was waking up.

Believing that she caught a glimpse of eyes fluttering, Abby renewed her efforts. "Jason, come on. You just need to open your eyes. Please, Jason"

She clutched Jason's frail looking hand between two of her olive tan ones, begging him to just open her eyes.

~* PAGE BREAK *~

That voice just would NOT leave him alone. Couldn't it see that this was what he wanted? The voice pleaded and begged, pulling him from the longed for darkness.

Pain…. It was everywhere… It was … unbearable. There was something shoved down his throat and what where those constant beeping sounds?

The voice came again, "Jason, you need to wake up. Please, just wake up." He knew that voice….. Why was Abby calling him? Did she die also?

But he made sure that Abby wouldn't die, even if the Joker and he did. Will the Joker call him next?

If he was here, perhaps the Joker was here also…. But why would Abby be here? Opening his mouth, Jason wanted to ask her. But the tube down her throat prevented him from doing anything.

~* PAGE BREAK *~

Abby looked at Jason, feeling that he had put her through enough. Seeing his eyelids start to flicker, she grabbed the breathing tube down his throat and yanked it upwards with practiced ease. Alarms started to go off as Abby stared at Jason, steely demanding. "Jason, quit this Bullcrap. You are going to pull your sorry ass out of that hospital bed and get your head on straight, you hear me?"

Not seeing any movement, she yelled. "Now!"

Jason shook as coughs wracked his body. Abby still filled with rage, but mostly desperation hit him on the chest. Probably damaging ribs if they weren't already. Abby stared at him, burning flames lit up her cheeks. "I demand that you wake up this minute."

Dr. Frauline rushed into the room, nurses at her heels. Seeing what happened, Frauline started to give out orders. "Get her outside. We need to stabilize him."

Abby felt strong hands taking her by the shoulders as she stared at Jason. "You promised! You promised me when I asked you five years ago that you'd never leave me by myself. You can't break that promise. I won't let you!"

The nurse led her from the room, a sympathetic look on her face. Abby let herself be pushed onto a chair in the hallway's waiting room. Anger rushing out of her body, leaving the girl feeling physically weak and scared, watching the busy entryway.

~* PAGE BREAK *~

Jason sat up in the hospital bed, wondering why Abby had betrayed him to Batman and Nightwing. Yes she had saved his life but she was being Selfish. This world would be a much better not to mention easier and safer without him.

Dr. Frauline had strictly left instructions that he had to stay a couple days when he woke up. Turns out a planned two ended up being ten and a half. And in her words "Dying wasn't good for you, even if you almost died!" Jason had to chuckle at that if he wasn't so worried about Abby. Normally the younger was constantly his shadow. Being pretty sure that she didn't get herself thrown into Arkhem, Jason had to jump to the worst conclusions.

The door opened, seeing it Jason's hopes rose. Believing that it was Abby, finally getting back. Those hopes found themselves dashed on rocks of despair and shards of disappointment.

~* PAGE BREAK *~

Dick seeing his younger brother's crestfallen look joked. "You look like a girl walked out on you, Jaybird."

Jason's eyebrow rose, look seriously asking him if he used that nickname. "Abby hasn't gotten around to seeing me, I guess. She's probably trying to bribe Alfred for cookies, knowing her."

Dick looked confused, guessing Jason didn't know about the last twenty days. "She's been by your side for eight days straight, Jay. Why would she leave it…?" Dick looked like he just swallowed a rather distasteful piece of medicine, remembering something. "Bats has been tracking the Joker. He's been missing since a couple hours after you woke up. But how could she?" Dick left the end of his sentence incomplete, not wanting to make Jason worry any more.

Jason guess what could have happened. He started to rip off cords, hurriedly. Not caring if the machines started to beep. "When I get ahold of her…. Why doesn't she ever listen to anyone? Being too bull-minded for her own good. I swear sometimes…."

Dick crossed his arms, already settled on the end of the bed. Not even bothering to move from where he sat on his brother's legs, making an observation. "She's kinda like you. Minus the part where you being stuck here while she goes and does something foolish."

Jason fed up, leveled a glare at the older man, black hair laying messed up on his forehead. "Would you move so that I can drag her sorry ass kicking and screaming back to Harford, Virginia?"

Dick smiled cheekily in the face of anger, unrepentant. "Nope, see Alfred thought it might be a good idea if you stayed here. Where the Joker can't find you. Besides you are barely out of the hospital and you want to check yourself back in?"

Jason huffed with annoyance, throwing a punch. Making Dick either move or get hit. "Don't you ever stop talking?"

Dick smiled broadly, moving his head slightly. "I'm chatty, it's part of my charm. What can I say?"

Finally being free of restraint, Jason grabbed the bag of clothes that had been lying on the chair beside his bed. He yanked on his clean military pants and a long sleeved grey turtle-neck shirt before yanking on his leather jacket. Oddly noticing a stitched hole on his left forearm and smiled about it.

Dick observed as his brother stomped his feet into his boots before tying the laces quickly and efficiently. Bruce wouldn't have let any of his 'Robins' go out into the field without knowing two important things. Getting dressed quickly and knowing how to defend themselves. "Hey, where are you going?"

Jason, digging further into the bag and only coming up with Abby's spare jacket and pants, answered tartly. "Saving that fool- hardy, brainless squirt. Why I let her tag around in the first place I'm not sure, she's only been trouble." Underneath the gear, he found a note written in her elegant scribble, stating an address only.

**A/N: Sorry that The Joker doesn't get a bigger cameo in this chapter, but he will soon enough! As will Abby! This was more of a filler I feel like. Longest Chapter yet Howwever and Finals are through!**


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